THE GREED OF THOSE IN THE food, dairy, pharmaceutical and medical industries — supported by the U.S. government and the medical profession — is costing American lives.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 130 million Americans suffer from chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and high cholesterol. Seventy percent of American deaths are caused by such chronic diseases. Yet while these chronic diseases can be reversed with proper nutrition, we, as Americans, must fight the government, the food industry and the medical profession in our efforts to achieve a healthier diet.

Much of the problem stems from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA, among other things, has been handed the tasks to both promote the food industry in America and the interests of big agribusiness while establishing guidelines for proper nutrition. This, of course, is a major conflict of interest. The result is that the USDA handles “check off” programs where various components of the food industry (meat, dairy, cheese, etc.) provide money to the USDA, which creates generic ads like the “Meat — It’s what’s for dinner” campaign.

The USDA also works with fast food companies to increase the consumption of cheese — see, for example, the Wendy’s “Cheddar Lovers Bacon Cheeseburger.” The agency — your government — worked with Subway, Burger King, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts and others, not to promote more healthful offerings but to push the sale of of more cheese on behalf of the cheese industry.

What is the result of the increased consumption of dairy and meat products? The U.S. now ranks 42nd in life expectancy — down from the 11th position 20 years ago, according to a 2007 article in the Washington Post.

In 1979, the USDA introduced the “Food Pyramid.” A panel of experts said fruits and vegetables should be at the bottom of the Pyramid because statistics and studies showed that people who ate fruits and vegetables were healthier. The secretary of the USDA, at the insistence of the grain industry, demanded that bread and wheat products should be at the bottom of the pyramid. Then the entire program was scrapped because the meat and dairy industries proclaimed that the USDA could not dictate to the American public that they should eat less of something. That, they complained, would hurt their sales and, therefore, profits.

As Americans become more aware than ever about the provenance of their food and the state of their own health, the medical profession is stepping in to offer shortcuts to “a healthier you.” But you don’t get “health” out of a bottle of pills or surgical procedures.

Among the many drugs now being peddled to a vulnerable population, Lipitor — designed to curb the effects of dietary excess — has been prescribed more than any other. But the use of Lipitor comes with the risk of heart, liver and a host of other diseases.

All these industries — meat, dairy, pharmaceutical, medical — get huge subsidies from the government. My question is, why don’t the fruit and vegetable industries also get subsidies?

The answer has to do with the biggest players in Washington. Meat and dairy lobbyists and those who work for the businesses that grow crops that go into animal feed have the most influence because they put the most politicians in office. The result is that government gives most of its money to these unhealthy food producers. Federal subsidies of the food industry over a 10-year period, from 1995 to 2005, were as follows: 71 percent went to meat and dairy companies, 13 percent to the grain industry, 11 percent to sugar, oil, starch and alcohol producers and 2 percent to nuts and legumes. Just 0.37 percent — that’s 1/3 of 1 percent — went to companies that produce fruits and veggies.

So, what’s the impact of our unhealthy “American” diet? The overwhelming number of heart procedures done these days have had little impact on mortality rates, according to L. David Hills, M.D., of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Twelve percent of heart attacks are caused by “major” blockages in the arteries, 88 percent by the “little” plaques that rupture, causing platelets to rush to that sight and resulting in a huge blockage and sudden death or heart attack. These small blockages are ticking time bombs. Stents and bypasses do nothing to prevent them.

The American Heart Association recommends a cholesterol level of 200 or below. The average level for Americans is 208, a level where most people die of a heart attack. Thirty-five percent of people who develop heart disease have cholesterol levels between 150 and 200.

Where is the data that shows you can reverse heart disease with a cholesterol level of 200? It doesn’t exist!

The point is, a plant-based diet is the only truly healthy diet.

The so-called “American” diet of high levels of meat and dairy products is unhealthy and results in early death and disability. Here in Benicia, every restaurant serves the typical “American” diet. Vegetarian meals are hard to find, but they are there. Excellent vegetarian dishes can be found at Mai Tai, Robert’s China Garden, the Little Thai, Sprankles Deli and Subway. Rubio’s also has a vegetarian burrito.

Paul McCartney once said that world hunger could be ended overnight if the world population became vegetarian. I agree! For more information, an excellent documentary on the topic is “Chow Down,” well worth the two hours it takes to watch it. The movie features Michele Simon, J.D., M.P.H., author of “Appetite for Profit,” an excellent read. Finally, a good website for recipes and information can be found at www.theveggietable.com. Good luck!

Benicia resident Rick Ernst is a former member of the Planning Commission and candidate for City Council.

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